KAGA UMESYU

Manzairaku's Kaga umeshu is made from Japan's famous and luxurious "Benisashi" variety Ume plums, sugar crystals, distilled alcohol and the highly regarded natural water of the Tedori River from the sacred Hakusan Mountain in Ichikawa Prefecture. It is said that the water from this spring was ennobled for over 100 years on the top of Mount Hakusan, before flowing down the valley by the river. Ume is often called plum, but botanically it is an apricot.

Ume are macerated for several months, creating a sweet and fruity drink. Plums are picked by hand, underripe to keep the freshness of the fruit. They are then transported to the Kura (Japanese for brewery) to be processed. Stalk and the rest of the calyx are removed by hand. Plums are then washed. They are immersed in 28% vol. sugar cane alcohol to which sugar crystals are added. This maceration will be carried out during the 6 hottest months of the year.